Catheter with ball valve



May 8, 1951 R. WAHLBECK CATHETER WITH BALL VALVE Filed Dec. 15, 1949 AINVENTOR Rag/Wm WflHL/EECK ATTORNEY Patented May 8, 1951 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE CATHETER WITH BALL VALVE Ragnar Wahlbecli, New York, N. Y.

Application December 13, 1949, Serial No. 132,643

4 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in catheters, andhas more particular reference to an improved valve construction andoperation for catheters.

Heretofore, catheters have been constructed with valves which wereeither inconvenient to.

operate, or after some use became inoperative. This inventionparticularly proposes a new valve construction which is exceptionallysimple to manipulate and which will remain operative in this way as longas the catheter itself lasts.

The new improved catheter with valve is characterized by a rubber bagwhich may be inflated with a liquid under pressure. This bag is providedat its top with a neck portion into which a nozzle or tip may beconnected. This nozzle or tip may be integral with the neck portion, ormay be of the hard rubber type generally used and merely connected withthe neck portion. A dominating feature of the invention resides informing said neck portion with downwardly and outwardly tapering sides,and providing a light ball within said rubber bag which will float insaid liquid and become wedged into said tapering sides of the neckportion when said bag is filled with said liquid to its neck portion, soas to confine said liquid in the bag in a manner so that said ball maybe manually forced downwards out of said neck portion by fiexing theneck portion with the fingers in order to release said confined liquidduring the use of the catheter. It is suggested that this light ball beof rigid type plastic material so as to be smooth and durable.Obviously, the ball will last indefinitely and will function as long asthe rubber bag of the catheter is usable.

The invention also proposes the provision of means by which a supply ofliquid may be connected with the neck portion of the bag for filling thebag. It is contemplated that these means include a tube connected withor integral with said neck portion, and a rubber pipe connector on thetube. This rubber pipe connector may be of a number of different designand shapes and may operate in any number of different ways as long as itmay be engaged upon a faucet or other supply of liquid in order to guidethe liquid into the rubber bag with sufficient pressure for inflatingthe bag. It is proposed that a nozzle or tip generally used withcatheters be inserted into the top of said tube, or that it be integralwith the tube.

Anoher object of this invention resides in providing the rubber bag witha large opening through which the ball may be easily inserted into thebag, and then to provide a satisfactory plug or means for closing saidopening so that the bag may hold water under pressure. Since the ball isof larger diameter than the neck portion of the bag it cannot very wellbe inserted through the neck portion and it is for this reason that theauxiliary opening is provided in the bag.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a device asdescribed which is simple and durable and which may be manufactured andsold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a catheter constructed in accordancewith this invention, certain dot and dash lines bein added to this Viewto indicate different positions of certain of the parts, and certainparts being illustrated broken to disclose interior parts.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed view of the bot-- tom portion of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational View of another catheter embodying the sameinvention.

The catheter illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 includes a rubber bag Ill ofsufficiently thin latex so that it may be inflated with liquid underpressure. Said rubber bag Ill i formed at its top with a neck portion Hto which a nozzle or tip may be connected. In this particular form ofthe invention a tube I2 is integral with the neck portion II and extendsupwards and terminates in a nozzle l3. A stiffening tube It of flexibleplastic material is forced into the tube l2 to provide the necessaryrigidity required in inserting the tube I2 into a body cavity.

The neck portion H has downwardly and outwardly tapering sides l5. Alight ball l6, preferably of rigid plastic material, is disposed withinsaid bag I0 and is sufficiently light to float in a liquid with whichthe bag In is filled. This ball I6 is sufiiciently large so that when itfloats to the top of the bag l0, when the latter is filled with theliquid, it becomes wedged into the tapering sides 15 of said neckportion l I, so as to confine said liquid in the bag Ill. The ball 16may be manually forced downwards out of said neck portion I5 by flexingsaid neck portion IS with the fingers in order to release said confinedliquid.

Means is associated with said neck portion l5 top of the.:tube l2 andthen turned inside out so as to besdirected upwards above the nozzle 53as indicated by the dot and dash lines l8. It

may then be engaged upon the bottom of a fauceta or another pipe.Moreover, in this position the connector may act as a funnel throughwhich medication may be poured from a bottle through."

the nozzle [3 and into the bag In. The ribs 19 serve to better grip afaucetonpiper Said bag In is provided with an openingzllthrough whichthe ball It: may be easily inserted into.the bag JD. Means is providedfor closing this opening 20; This means consists of a rubber plug 2|having a peripheral groove 22; The. edge portion 23of the bag liiiwhichsurrounds the opening 201is engaged into said groove 22. A rubberclampring 24 engages around the edge portion 23 and forces same into thegroove 22.. The extremeedge-of the edge portion 23 is turned around theclamp ring 24 (see Fig; 2). Hi isconstructed relativelythick at the neckportion I I so that this portion does not expand materiallyduringinflation. The main portion of the bag 10 isthin so as to becapable of inflating, as indicated by. the dot. and dash lines I0 inFig.1.

In Fig.3 a modified'form ofthe. invention has been disclosed'whichdistinguishesfrom the prior.v

form merely in. the. fact that a relatively short tube 25 is'connectedwith the neck portion H of the bag 1.. In other respects this form ofthe invention is identical tothe prior form and identical. parts havebeen indicated by like reference numerals. A hard rubber tip may beinserted into this tube 25.. The tube 25 flares slightly at its top inorder to prevent the rubber pipe: connector l8 from falling off. Thepipe connector I8 is used by turning it insideout to extend upwards, asindicated .by the dot and dash lines .58. Then the bag. It may be filledin the same Way previously described.

The. operation and use of the new. catheters. may be'understood. fromthe following;

The-connector I8. is .used to fill the bag Ill with liquid and suitablemedication. While the liquid enters the bag It! the force; of ;theliquid keeps the ball l6 out of the neckportion ll. The bag. I0 becomesinflated so as to hold alarger quantity of "the" medicated liquid. Whensufiicient The bag liquid. has. entered the bag the supplyis turned off.Immediately, the balllfi floats upwards and shown in Fig. l theconnectorI8 is merely slipped down to. its original position, shown by the full.lines on the. drawing, and it is ready to be used.

The nozzle or tip is inserted in' a rbOdyCaVity.iI1-

the usual .way. Then the ball I6 is slipped downwards with. the fingersthrough the flexible neck portion ll'so that the liquid is free todischarge through the nozzle'or tip.

While. I' have illustrated'and described the preferred. embodiments ofmy invention, it is Ito beunderstood that I do not limit myself to-.the-

precise. constructions herein disclosedandithe .4 right is reserved toall changes and modifications coming within the scope of the inventionas defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a catheter having a rubber bag which may be inflated with a liquidunder pressure, said rubber bag having at its top a flexible neckportion to which a nozzle may be connected, said neck portion havingdownwardly and outwardly taperingsides sufficiently flexible to bedeformed by ,ones fingers engaging the outside face of saidneck-portion, alight ball which will float in said liquid and becomewedged into said tapering flexible sides of said neck portion when saidbag is'filledwith said liquid to its neck portion so as to confine saidliquid in said bag, and said neck portion being sufiiciently -fiexibleso that said ball maybe manually forced downwards out of said neckportion'by flexing said neck portion with the'fingers engaging theoutside'of said'neck POT-1 tion'in' order to release'saidconflnedliquid: 2..In a catheter having arubber bag which may beinflated witha liquid'under pressure, said rubber bag having at its topa neck portion to which a nozzle may be connected, said neck por-- tionhaving downwardly and outwardly tapering sides; a light ball which willfloat in said. liquid and become wedged into said tapering sides of saidneckp'ortion when said bag is'filled with said liquid to; its neckportion so asto confine said liquidin' saidbag in a manner so that saidball may. be manually" forced downwardsout'of' said neck'por'tionbyflexing said neck portion with the fingers inorder to release saidconfined liquid, and means forc'onnecting a'supply of liquid withsaidneckportion', comprising a tube connected with said "neck portion,and a rubber pipe connector on said' tube; said" tube terminating in anozzle, said pipeconnector' being of 'frusto-conical shape and'sli'dably'mounted on said tubegand 1 said. pipe connector; being flexible inorder that it may "flex into'a diverging position'when'it'is at theouter'endof saidtub'e and maybe flexed into a convex position to engageover said'neck. portion when it is at the inner end of said tube.

3.;In' a catheter having a rubber bag which maybe inflatedwitha liquidunder pressure, said rubber'bag having at its top a neck portion'towhich vanozzlemay beconnect'ed,- said neck portion havii'ig'downwardly.and outwardly tapering sides, a light ball. which will float in saidliquid and become wedged into said tapering sides of said neck portionwhen said bag is filled with said liquid. to its neck portion so as toconfine said liquid in. said bag in.a manner so that said. ballinayr bemanually forced downwards out of said neck portion by. flexing saidlneckportion withthe fingers in order to release said-confined liquidfandmeans for..connecting a supply of liquid. with said. neck portion,comprising a tube connectedwith'said neck portion, and a rubber pipeconnector onsaid tube, said tube being ofrubber and terminating-in anozzle, anda stiffeningtube mounted=coaxially of said tube.

4. lfn aicathetershaving a rubber bag-Which may be. inflatedwith aliquidunder. pressure, said rubber-bag. havingat itstop a neck portion.to which. a nozzle-may .be connected-,-- said-neck 1 portion havingdownwardly and .ou-twardlymtat pering sides, .a light ball which willfloat imsaid liquid and become wedg-ed into said tapering sides oflsaidneck-lportion when: saidbag-is filled withsaid! liquid-to .its; nec k'portion 50: as to confine? said liquid in said bag in a manner so thatsaid ball may be manually forced downwards out of said neck portion byflexing said neck portion with the fingers in order to release saidconfined liquid, said bag having an opening through which said ball maybe inserted into said bag, and means for closing said opening,comprising a plug with a peripheral groove, the edge portion of saidopening engaging said groove, and a 6 REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number clamp ring clamping said edge portion intosaid 10 1,373,505

groove.

RAGNAR WAHLBECK.

Name Date Connable Apr. 22, 1879 Rees et a1. May 2, 1911 Herschlay Dec.21, 1909 Holland Apr. 5, 1921 Derryberry Jan. 15, 1929

